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South Africa’s first generic semaglutide injection launched in August — and Sahpra is considering 13 more applications. Photo: Haberdoedas Photography/Pexels 
PUBLIC HEALTH

The first generic weight loss drug hit SA in August — with many expected to follow. Will it be enough to kill the black market?

As patents expire, generic versions of blockbuster weight-loss and diabetes drugs like Ozempic arrive in South Africa. But will price drops be enough to end the dangerous black…

  • Tanya Pampalone
  • Mia Malan
  • Anna-Maria van Niekerk
15 min read
PUBLIC HEALTH

What HIV got right — but obesity still hasn’t

As the 26th International Aids Conference convenes, this article draws parallels between the HIV response and the emerging obesity crisis in South Africa. It highlights how…

  • Francois Venter
  • Simiso Sokhela
  • Nzama Mbalati
  • Yvette Raphael
10 min read
Costly legal weight-loss drugs are fuelling a black market in unregistered versions, including retatrutide — an experimental medicine still in trials. (Anna-Maria van Niekerk)
PUBLIC HEALTH
Video

Health Beat #39 | Inside SA's illegal weight-loss drug trade

South Africa faces a surge in illegal weight-loss drugs, as expensive GLP-1 medicines drive a black market for cheaper, untested versions. This trend raises serious health…

  • Anna-Maria van Niekerk
  • Mia Malan
  • Jessica Pitchford
  • Justin Barlow
  • Albert Tibane
  • Jeannine Snyman
2 min read